1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to water saving devices, and more particularly to adjustable flow splitting arrangements for controlling the amount of water directed into a toilet bowl.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a typical household the toilet is provided with a holding tank in which a determined amount of water is accumulated after each use. In the course of this accumulation a part of the filling stream is diverted into the bowl itself, providing the liquid seal against gases and the like. This diversion of the filling stream is under the control of a ballcock mechanism and thus will vary from installation to installation. More precisely, the ballcock mechanism itself splits into two flows, one directed into the holding tank and the other through an afterfill tube into the bowl. Thus the supply water pressure at the ballcock determines, to a large extent, the amount of water diverted into the bowl. As result the water excess in the bowl is simply washed down the drain.
In the past various techniques were devised for controlling the afterfill flow into the toilet bowl. Exemplary such teachings are found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,145,775 to Butler and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,7864,996 to Pino. Each of these, while suitable for the purposes intended, relies on a restriction in the afterfill tube to reduce the flow therethrough. In consequence pressure variations in the supply vary the afterfill flow rate and an excess amount must therefore be allowed for effective bowl sealing.
Accordingly, a technique less dependent on the supply pressure for its flow is desired and it is one such technique that is disclosed herein.